As the title indicates, the main theme of this new creation is impermanence. Nothing is forever. How do we deal with this?  How do we deal with loss and a radical change in our environment? The performance is about the things people do (or do not do) in order not to lose what they have attained. It is about the constant duality of everyone's lives, between holding on to something and the art and difficulty of letting go. The word Ashes is a powerful metaphor for something that slips through your fingers, something you can't get a grip on. This isn't necessarily negative or sad. By repositioning yourself, new things may also be created . The possibility of rising again from our ashes like the phoenix. For Ashes, there has been chosen for the music of G.F. Handel.Wim Selles – a composer whom Koen Augustijnen worked with before in Ernesto and Just Another Landscape for some Juke-Box Money – is responsible for the musical direction.In addition to the violin, cello and lute, the music ensemble was complemented by the accordion and marimba. Together with the musicians, he creates an intimist sound concept for Handel's music based on the original harmony and structure. Handel's music is always full of movement and energy, whilst being clear and transparent at the same time. The openness and energy in the melody, rhythm and harmony leaves room for theatrical interpretation. The music is in contrast with the hardness of what is figured out and fought out on the dance floor. It provides breath and comfort. With percussionist and marimba player Mattijs Vanderleen, Selles looks for sounds that contrast with the baroque music.  In this piece, Steve Dugardin, the male alto singer who performed in bâche and IMPORT EXPORT, is joined by a soprano (Amaryllis Dieltiens or Irene Carpentier).

The set is designed by the visual artist Jean Bernard Koeman, who has previously designed for Just another Landscape for some Juke-Box Money, bâche and IMPORT EXPORT. It is a curious grey set, a colourless environment in strong contrast to the ‘colourful' performers on stage. Kurt Lefevre has designed the lighting and helps achieve this idea of contrast. The set consists of different levels on which the dancers can perform. The collaboration with the dramaturge Guy Cools continues in this production. There are eight performers on stage, men and women, including several with acrobatic experience like Gaël Santisteva (France, trained at CNAC, danced amongst others in IMPORT EXPORT and with Philip Decoufflé) and Grégory Edelein (France, trained at CNAC). In addition there are: Athanasia Kanellopoulou (Greece, danced amongst others with Pina Bausch), Beniamin Boar (Romania, danced amongst others with Rosas), Chantal Loïal (Guadeloupe-France, danced amongst others with Montalvo-Hervieu), Jakub Truszkowski (Poland, studied at P.A.R.T.S., danced in IMPORT EXPORT and with Rosas), Ligia Manuela Lewis (U.S., danced with Superamas) and Sung-Im Her (Korea, studied at PARTS, danced amongst others with Jan Fabre).Koen Augustijnen deliberately chose dancers who are very different from each other, in nationality, culture and body language. Since everyone moves in a different way, they all miss the normal physical references. Because they all have a completely different approach when dealing with dance and their own bodies. It is the creation of the piece that forms its content. How do you bring all these differences together in a way that leads to cooperation, and where everyone is on the same frequency ? 
Source : Les ballets C de la B

Credits


Choreography Koen Augustijnen
Dance performance Les ballets C de la B
8 Danseurs, 2 chanteurs, 5 musicienschorégraphie Koen Augustijnen musique d'après les compositions originales de G.F.Haendel direction musicale : Wim Selles dramaturgie Guy Cools conseil de mouvement Florence Augendre conseil musical musique baroqueSteve Dugardin création décorJean Bernard Koeman costumes Dorothée Catry 

Production Les ballets C de la B coproduction Theaterhaus Gessnerallee Zurich, La Rose des Vents Villeneuve-d'Ascq, Théâtre de la Ville Paris, Brighton Festival, Theater Bonn, Torinodanza, KVS Bruxelles, Theaterfestival Boulevard's-Hertogenbosch en collaboration avec Theater aan de Paradeavec l'appui dela ville de Gand, la Province de la Flandre Orientale, des Autorités Flamandes. Les ballets C de la B sont Ambassadeur culturel de l'Unesco, IHE, Institute for Water Education

Réalisation vidéo Charles Picq date du document vidéo 2009 production Maison de la danse



Durée de l'œuvre 1h40

Born in Mechelen (Belgium) in 1967, Koen Augustijnen has been working closely with les ballets C de la B since 1991, initially as a dancer in performances staged by Alain Platel, Hans Van den Broeck and Francisco Camacho, and since 1997, he has become one of the dance company’s house choreographers.

To "Crush Time" (1997), his first self-choreographed production, was followed by "Plage Tattoo" (1999) co-directed together with three musicians from Zita Swoon and with Tamayo Okano. His third major production came in "Ernesto" (2000),a dance solo and docudrama, co-directed with his brother Sven Augustijnen, which in turn was followed by "Just another landscape for some jukebox money" (2002). "Bâche" (2004) brought him an international breakthrough, followed by "Import/Export" (2006) and "Ashes" (2009).

He studied history at the Ghent University (1986-1988) and enrolled for theatre workshops at the Antwerp Conservatory (1989) as well as workshops hosted by Jan Decorte in Brussels (1990). In addition, he attended dance workshops by Wim Vandekeybus, Caro Lambert, Min Tanaka, Laurie Booth, Suzanne Linke, Francisco Camacho, Christine Quoiraud, Frank van de Ven and David Zambrano (1990-1999) amongst others. His principal training and work experience, however, has been firmly rooted in his staging of performances as a member of les ballets C de la B. Apart from les ballets C de la B he sometimes works as a choreographer, joining forces with dEUS or working with Ivo Van Hove (Toneelgroep Amsterdam), Arne Sierens (compagnie Cecilia) and Stalker Theatre Company to name but a few. In 2009 he also made a mass choreography for the video clip Dance for the climate from Nic Balthazar. In 2011, he created in collaboration with TG STAN 

Source : Ballets C de la B website

More information

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Before devoting herself entirely to scriptwriting ("Chrysalis", "99 duets"), Catherine Maximoff began studying music at the Conservatory, then language and communication at the university. She collaborated in the artistic programming and production of several festivals: the Iles and Presqu'îles de Danses (contemporary dance), Alternative Lyrique (contemporary opera) and the New Dance Festival in Uzès (France).

She also worked for two years in the Department of Dance at the Cité de la Musique (La Villette, France).

She has written and directed a number of choreographic fictions such as "Voyage", selected in less than thirty festivals, "Uzès quintet", "Daïté", "Swinging Ethiopia" and creative documentaries such as "Wayne McGregor, choreographer "And" Aperghis, storm under a skull ".

She was selected for the Berlinale Talent Campus at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2004 and was a member of the jury of the International Dance Screen Festival in Brighton (UK) in 2005.

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More information

catherinemaximoff.fr